Mom & Me!

last Saturday, Gabrielle & i hopped into a fellow church member's Jeep & headed to (near) Lynchburg VA for a Mom & Me weekend at Camp Eagle Eyrie...we went with another mother/daughter team from our church...it's for girls in 1st thru 5th grade (so Corinn's not quite old enough yet)...there were approximately 400 people in attendance (200 girls/200 moms) & it ran from Saturday afternoon until Sunday afternoon...it was a short 24 hours, but boy did we pack a lot in!

i'm sooooo glad that Gabby & i went on this trip!

here's a pic of Jessie & Gabby shortly after we arrived...believe it or not, they're the same age! ~lol~

the funny thing about being at Eagle Eyrie, was that this is the same Baptist camp i used to go stay at yeeeeeaaaaaars ago! ;0) i would go for week-long teen camps & fun long weekends with our youth group...that was over 15 years ago, but i have such fond memories of this place!

a few things have changed, but it's mostly as i remember...the huge slide is still there! & it was one of the 1st things that caught the girls' eyes ;0)

& oh my, the food is the same too! they have a huge dining hall & all meals are served all-you-can-eat-buffet style...that was my favorite part - getting to eat 3 meals (dinner on Sat, b'fast & lunch on Sun) without doing a bit of cooking or cleaning up! ;0)

there were only 2 short sessions that had the girls together, & the mothers separate...the first was Saturday night - while they played games, us moms had a "coffee shop" moment where we met some new faces & learned about what all our weekend would entail

then we met back up & had our African dance session together...i already showed u some videos from that night...it was soooo much fun!

exhausting, yes! we were sweaty messes when we returned to our lodge at 9pm after our class...but what a great workout & bonding time with our daughters!

since we were such a tiny group, we lodged with another group of girls from a church in northern VA...they had brought supplies to make homemade pizzas that night & were sweet enuff to invite our girls to join them in the fun

then the crazies came out & replaced our sweet & innocent daughters for an hour or 2...

we thought we'd never get these nuts to bed!

the next morning after breakfast, it was time for a scavenger hunt...

the camp is built on the side of a mountain (literally) & it's quite a steep climb from the bottom (where the main office is & the scavenger hunt began), all the way to the top where the lodges are

& of course the clues were scattered everywhere in between ;0)

let's just say that between Jaden's field trip to the Science museum that Friday...then all the walking we did with the girls up & down the mountain over the weekend...i got in my exercise!!!

we were thankful that it only misted on us for most of the morning (we had a huge downpour the night before, while we slept)

finally they had all their clues...

so we went inside to relax with some hot chocolate :0)

on the porch of the hotel lodge after our hot chocolate...

next, we got to hear from the missionaries featured that weekend...the Eatons lived in Uganda for 30 years!

we found out a lot about how they lived & witnessed to the folks of Uganda...& the girls got to try out instruments & tools that are commonly used there

after that, the girls headed to do some crafts & the moms went off to the 2nd stop that had us separate from the girls...a prayer walk

i don't have any pics from that 1/2 hour, but it was honestly my favorite part of the weekend! (well, besides getting to spend so much quality time with Gabby of course!)...we paired up with another mom who we had never met before, & walked around together, praying for our daughters...it was actually really strange how similar the other mother i partnered with was to me - our lives were almost mirrors of each other! it was an emotional experience for me...& something i hope to continue to do - to follow this devotional & keep praying for all 3 of my kiddos & the many challenges/hurdles they'll face in life...that they grow into selfless, kind, generous, strong, children of Christ

the last stop of the day was to help pack meals with Stop Hunger Now...

we filled bags with soy, dried veggies, a vitamin/mineral powder & rice...then sealed them shut...

they told us that each bag could feed 5-6 people...

& that over the 2 days that we were there, enough packages had been filled to feed 11,000 folks total!

after the closing ceremony, it was time to head home...both girls had a blast on their first Mom & Me weekend & cannot wait to go back again next year!

me too...i had a blast!
(& Corinn gets to go next year)

getting close...

the Relay for Life walk is almost a week away (it's next Fri/Sat) & our team is sooooo close to reaching our team goal!

we just had a fundraiser at my office today...we made a home-cooked meal & took free will donations...& we raised almost $500!!!

that puts us about $75 shy of our $2,000 team goal...we're getting close!

please go to my page & give what u can...no gift is too small or too big!

& remember...i will award a prize of one free cake order (to serve up to 25 people) to the person donating the highest amount to my personal goal!

so go give!!!

i found out that our final "bank night" is on May 3rd - that means that any money collected by that day will show up in our grand total at the walk...we can still take donations up until the walk (& even after), but to have it factored into our grand total, i need it by Monday...however, this contest will run until the walk on May 7th, so u have plenty of time to give...i will announce the winner here on May 10th

(not so) wordless Wednesday...African dance from our Mom & Me weekend...

~Gabby was tired by the time i took this video (with my camera)...we all learned the dance together (moms & daughters - that alone took a while), then we performed it together about 3 times...this video was after all that - when they had the girls do it alone...& i think she was done by then (i know i was exhausted!)...after the girls, they had us moms do it alone too! no video of that, but Gabby snapped some pics of me dancing with my phone...more to come tomorrow about our Mom & Me weekend~



~this one was at the very end...our last time around...Gabby seemed to catch a 2nd wind too...i took this 1 with my phone - i held it, & danced at the same time - just not doing the motions with that 1 arm ~lol~ we musta did this dance about 15 times, & we were sweaty messes by the end...but it was so much fun to do this with my baby girl!!! ♥~

field trip with Jaden...

yesterday, the 3rd grade went on a field trip the the Science Museum of VA in Richmond...i chaperoned Jaden & 2 of his classmates (who happened to be girls)

we had a great time...this stuff is right up Jaden's alley!

the glass elevators were actually one the kiddos' favorite "exhibits" ~lol~

& outside, they had an old train station with different train cars that the kiddos could climb on...& down the way a little was an old submarine...the Aluminaut!

in the lobby was one of those Foucault Pendulums...as we were gathering there to get back on the buses & head home, it knocked down one of the pegs...it was cute how excited all the kiddos were as it built up to knocking the peg down!
(sorry the video is sideways...i'm still learning my new phone)

weekend cakes...

Friday night, my sweet hubby delivered this cake to his sister in Maryland...her daughter is having a baby any day now - Kia's very first grandbaby! i guess that means i'm going to be a great aunt!!! ;0)

it was yellow cake, iced in buttercream...i decorated the baby with buttercream & made little fondant sports balls to accent the sides

then on Sunday, Curtis made sure this cake got to my nephew's 6th birthday party...Gabby & i were out of town at a Mom & Me conference (more on that soon), so we were unable to attend the party...but i hear the cake made it safely & Bryan was thrilled with how it turned out!

it was fudge chip cake, iced in chocolate buttercream...i made the monster truck out of rice krispie treats & covered it in dark chocolate fondant...the i hand painted the image on with edible colors...the little cars are toys

thx for looking!

look who got a haircut!!!

before...

during...

after...

he actually looks like a Schnauzer now!

Corinn says that the bandanna makes him look like he's from Texas
;0)

wanna see Rocket in action?

wedding anniversary...

another year down...

...MANY more to go

;0)

wordless Wednesday...i love Spring in the country!

weekend recap...in pics...

weekend cakes...

Saturday, i had 2 wedding cake consultations (tis the season)...then i met up with Lukas' mom to hand off his farm animal cake...

it was marble cake, iced in buttercream...the hay pile & mud hole are also buttercream...i made the fence & animals out of fondant

then on Sunday, i delivered this Spongebob cake to Jathan's party...

it was almond flavored cake, iced in buttercream...the sand is brown sugar & graham crackers...the shells are not edible (doesn't that one up front on the right look like it might be Gary? ~wink~)

Jathan's mom even got some Krabby patties for the kiddos to enjoy!

these are made using yellow cupcakes (buns)...i make the patties from fudge chip cake, smashed up with a little chocolate syrup added as a binder...the cheese & lettuce is fondant...the ketchup & mustard are buttercream

Curt has a hard time eating these little cheeseburger cupcakes...he says he expects to taste a mini burger (thinking White Castle), then gets a mouthful of sweetness & it totally thrown off ~lol~

of course, the kiddos have no problem!

i made sure to make extras so they could each have one...as soon as breakfast was over on Sunday, they were begging me to let them eat theirs ;0)